06 Aug 19 | Belarus, Belarus Incident Reports
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Index on Censorship’s Monitoring and Advocating for Media Freedom project tracks press freedom violations in five countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. Learn more.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”2 Incidents” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]
Ministry spokeswoman obscenely answers journalist’s request for comment
Zmitser Pankavets
15 July 2019 – The independent newspaper Nasha Niva appealed to Zinaida Biareshchanka, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, to comment on the fact that Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ihar Brylo posted a picture on Instagram in which he posed in a t-shirt that read “Russia” while at the Barysau enterprise Zdravushka. The media drew attention to this case and the official closed his account.
In the first conversation with journalist Zmitser Pankavets, Biareshchanka promised to talk to Ihar Brylo, and during the second conversation her mood changed significantly. She refused in an obscene form to answer the questions saying: “Look, stop politicising where it is not necessary to do it. Stop putting in the heads of society that should not be put in.”
The next day, the spokesperson apologised to the journalist for her ‘emotionality’ through Facebook.
Link: https://nn.by/?c=ar&i=233808&lang=ru
https://nn.by/?c=ar&i=233843&lang=ru
Categories: Blocked Access, Offline Defamation/Discredit/Harassment/Verbal Abuse
Source of violation: Government/State Agency/Public official(s)/Political party
Belsat TV crew detained
9 July 2019 – The police detained Belsat TV journalist Ihar Kuley and camerapersons Syarhei Kavaliou and Maksim Harchanok who were filming an episode of the program Belsat Near You in the local market of the Brest region town of Hantsavichy. The police officers told them to go to the police station claiming that they were not allowed to film and forced them to turn off their cameras. After the police investigated, the journalists were released.
Link: https://belsat.eu/en/news/belsat-near-you-crew-detained-in-hantsavichy/
Categories: Arrest/Detention/Interrogation, Blocked Access
Source of violation: Police/State Agency[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1565080886221-bb53e335-85ed-6″ taxonomies=”8996″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
04 Jul 19 | Belarus, Belarus Incident Reports
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Index on Censorship’s Monitoring and Advocating for Media Freedom project tracks press freedom violations in five countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. Learn more.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”5 Incidents” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]
Journalists barred from covering roundtable on drug problem
Zmitser Kazakevich and Viachaslau Lazarau
26 June 2019 – Vitsebsk independent journalists Zmitser Kazakevich and Viachaslau Lazarau were not allowed to cover a roundtable discussion between education officials and the parents of individuals convicted of drug offenses.
The journalists were told they could not be present at the event because they were not listed as invitees. Officials turned down a request from the organisers that the press be allowed to attend.
Link: https://baj.by/be/content/vicebskih-zhurnalistau-ne-puscili-na-krugly-stol-pa-prableme-narkotykau
Category: Blocked Access
Source(s) of violation: State Agency
Journalists banned from visiting Brest regional government
12 June 2019 – Media professionals were barred from attending a meeting between Anatol Lis, head of the Brest regional government, and environmental protestors. Three independent journalists had been included in a list of meeting participants. Audio recording and photographing during the meeting were banned.
Link: https://charter97.link/ru/news/2019/6/13/337549/
Category: Blocked Access
Source(s) of violation: State Agency
Independent media workers blocked from attending press conference
11 June 2019 – Management of a controversial battery plant I-Power blocked some independent media representatives and bloggers from attending a press conference. The Brest factory has drawn protests from area residents concerned about its environmental impacts.
Link: https://baj.by/be/content/zhurnalistau-ne-puscili-na-sustrechu-starshyni-bresckaga-ablvykankama-z-praciunikami
Category: Blocked Access
Source(s) of violation: Company
Independent newspaper’s journalist prevented from entering new court building
7 June 2019 – A Brestskaya Gazeta journalist was told she could not enter a new court building after its inauguration citing the lack of accreditation.
Link(s): https://www.b-g.by/news/otkryitie-doma-pravosudiya-v-breste-nachalos-s-torzhestva-spravedlivosti-korrespondenta-bg-vnutr-ne-pustili/
Category: Blocked Access
Source(s) of violation: Public Official
Brest blogger Piatrukhin detained while broadcasting online
2 June 2019 – Blogger Siarhei Piatrukhin was pushed into a car by men in camouflage on the corner of Mayakovski and Savietskaya Streets and taken to the Leninski district police department. The incident happened while he was conducting a live broadcast from a protest march against construction of a battery plant near Brest.
At the police station, a report was filed against Piatrukhin for disorderly conduct and he was jailed pending a trial.
On 3 June 2019, Piatrukhin was brought from the prison to the Leninski district court of Brest. There a judge postponed the hearing until 10 June 2019 and released him.
Update:
10 June 2019 – A judge in the Leninski district court of Brest fined Siarhei Piatrukhin Br765 (about $370) for disorderly conduct (Article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences).
The reason for the ruling was the alleged insult of the deputy head of Leninski district police department of Brest Mikalai Samasiuk. At the trial, Samasiuk explained that the blogger asked Samasiuk, who was on duty at the time, to accept a complaint against an administrative offense “in importunate manner”. Samasiuk considered such behavior of Piatrukhin as unacceptable and called the riot police.
Links:
https://charter97.link/en/news/2019/6/3/336370/
https://charter97.link/en/news/2019/6/4/336484/
https://charter97.link/en/news/2019/6/11/337333/
Category: Detention, Blocked Access, Fines
Source(s) of violation: Police, Court[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1562239181704-1669af44-11ae-10″ taxonomies=”8996″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
31 May 19 | Belarus, Belarus Incident Reports
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Index on Censorship’s Monitoring and Advocating for Media Freedom project tracks press freedom violations in five countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. Learn more.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”8 Incidents” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”Blogger Piatrukhin detained to prevent him from covering ecological protest in Brest” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]
26 May 2019 – Blogger Siarhei Piatrukhin was preventively detained by the Brest police on the basis of a flimsy pretext and taken to the Leninski district police department shortly before the start of an ecological protest. He had to spend about an hour at the station.
For more than a year, Brest residents have been protesting against the construction and launch of the iPower battery plant in the Brest free economic zone which may harm the environment in the region.
Link(s)
https://belsat.eu/en/news/ahead-of-protests-brest-blogger-preventively-detained/
Categories: Arrest/Detention; Blocked Access
Source of violation: Police/State security[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”President signs decree allowing the blocking of websites during the European Games” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]
20 May 2019 – President Lukashenko signed decree №19 on security measures during the European Games in Minsk (17 June to 2 July).
The authorities intend to temporarily block all the websites calling for participation in unauthorized protests during the European Games in Belarus. According to the document, from 20 May to 30 June this year such websites are to be detected and to be blacklisted within 24 hours.
In addition, the decree also prohibits the use drones at sports venues, hotels and fan zones during the European Games. Unauthorised drones will be seized until 2 July. The exception is the equipment belonging to the governmental bodies and the Games organizers.
Link(s)
https://baj.by/en/content/belarusian-government-block-websites-calling-protests-during-european-games
http://charter97.link/en/news/2019/5/21/334837/
Category: Legal Measures
Source of violation: Government[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Investigative journalist makes statement on his discrediting by Russian propaganda websites” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]16 May 2019 – The editor of the Belarusian service of the International Volunteer Community Inform Napalm and journalist for the Novy Chas newspaper Dzianis Ivashyn made an official statement on the smear campaign against him by some Russian websites. Ivashyn noted that some representatives of Belarusian media outlets are engaged in this campaign as well. The campaign began in mid-April 2019.
The main participants of the campaign, according to Ivashyn, are antimaydan.info, news-front.info, novorosinform.org, politnavigator.net, telegram channels 338 and Trikotazh and several others.
Ivashyn said he believes security ministries of the Russian Federation are behind the campaign due to the nature, method and channels of dissemination of disinformation about him.
Link(s)
https://baj.by/be/content/belaruski-zhurnalist-zayaulyae-pra-cisk-z-boku-rasiyskih-internet-resursau
Categories: Online Discredit
Source of violation: Another media[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Investigative journalist makes statement on his discrediting by Russian propaganda websites” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]16 May 2019 – The editor of the Belarusian service of the International Volunteer Community Inform Napalm and journalist for the Novy Chas newspaper Dzianis Ivashyn made an official statement on the smear campaign against him by some Russian websites. Ivashyn noted that some representatives of Belarusian media outlets are engaged in this campaign as well. The campaign began in mid-April 2019.
The main participants of the campaign, according to Ivashyn, are antimaydan.info, news-front.info, novorosinform.org, politnavigator.net, telegram channels 338 and Trikotazh and several others.
Ivashyn said he believes security ministries of the Russian Federation are behind the campaign due to the nature, method and channels of dissemination of disinformation about him.
Link(s)
https://baj.by/be/content/belaruski-zhurnalist-zayaulyae-pra-cisk-z-boku-rasiyskih-internet-resursau
Categories: Online Discredit
Source of violation: Another media[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Radio Racyja’s journalist failed to obtain accreditation from foreign ministry” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]15 May 2019 – The Belarusian ministry of foreign affairs denied accreditation to Yauhen Skrabets, a journalist for the Belarusian Radio Raciya (Poland), as a foreign correspondent.
In response to Yauhen Vapa, the head of the radio station, the ministry said that the accreditation had been denied because Radio Raciya had previously used non-accredited journalists in the last six months.
Link(s)
https://baj.by/be/content/mzs-belarusi-admovila-u-akredytacyi-yashche-adnamu-zhurnalistu-radyyo-racyya-kopiya-adkazu
Categories: Blocked Access; Legal Measures
Source of violation: State Agency[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Two independent journalist from Vitsebsk fined” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]15 May 2019 – The trial of independent journalists Alena Shabunia and Viachaslau Lazarau took place in the Navapolatsk town court. A judge found both journalists guilty of “illegal production and distribution of media content” under Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses and fined them 637.50 Belarusian rubles (more than 300 dollars) each.
The pair were on trial because their video of an accident at the Polimir Navapolatsk enterprise was shown on Belsat TV channel.
Link(s)
http://charter97.link/en/news/2019/5/16/334236/
https://baj.by/be/content/vicebskih-zhurnalistau-ashtrafavali-za-videasyuzhet-pra-avaryyu-na-zavodze-palimir
Category: Fines
Source(s) of violation: Police, Court[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Foreign Ministry refused to accredit Radio Racyja journalist for the tenth time” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]14 May 2019 – A foreign ministry officer told Hrodna journalist Victar Parfionenka in a telephone conversation that he has been denied accreditation again.
Parfionenka has been contributing to the Belarusian Radio Racyja registered in Poland for 10 years. Every year he appeals to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for accreditation as a foreign correspondent and always gets rejected.
Link(s)
https://m.charter97.org/ru/news/2019/5/13/333944/
Categories: Blocked Access; Legal Measures
Source of violation: State Agency[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Ingush blogger detained and deported to Russia without trial” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]10 May 2019 – The authorities have ordered the extra-judicial deportation of Russian critical blogger Ismail Nalgiev after his arrest in the Minsk airport on 8 May 2019.
His lawyer said law enforcement agencies did not disclose the reasons for the blogger’s arrest. Nalgiev has been held in the detention center in Minsk since he was arrested at the airport while he was trying to leave Belarus. He was told that he was on the Russian list of wanted persons. Then the blogger was told that he was charged with a misdemeanor.
It was expected that the charge would be considered on May 10 by the Kastrychnicki district court of Minsk, but in the morning the detainee’s lawyer was informed that there would be no trial and Nalgiev had already been deported.
Link(s)
http://charter97.link/en/news/2019/5/10/333562/
https://belsat.eu/en/news/ingush-blogger-ismail-nalgiev-expelled-from-belarus-without-trial/
http://spring96.org/en/news/92886
https://baj.by/be/content/ingushskogo-blogera-vyslali-iz-belarusi-bez-suda
Categories: Arrest/Detention; Legal Measures
Source of violation: Police/State security[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”More on this case” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”107022″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2019/05/blogger-and-human-rights-defender-ismail-nalgiev-extra-judicially-deported-from-belarus/”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Journalists among those barred from attending a session on redevelopment in Minsk” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]3 May 2019 – Journalists were not allowed to attend the session on the redevelopment of a section of the center of Minsk, which was held in the Pershamaiski district administration of Minsk behind closed doors.
Two dozen local residents, who had submitted written appeals to be present at the session, gathered at the door, but they and media outlets — Radio Liberty and news website TUT.by — were barred from attending.
When Radio Liberty’s Ina Studzinskaya approached the door, a police senior lieutenant roughly threw her out of the office.
Link(s):
https://www.svaboda.org/a/29918765.html
http://charter97.link/ru/news/2019/5/3/332790/
Categories: Blocked Access, Physical Assault
Source of violation: State Agency, Police[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1560769127972-f4b1801a-f015-7″ taxonomies=”8996″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
24 May 19 | Media Freedom, media freedom featured, Monitoring and Advocating Coverage, News and features
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]This article is part of an ongoing series exploring the issues raised by Index on Censorship’s Monitoring and Advocating for Media Freedom project.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
On 8 May 2019 the Belarussian authorities ordered the extra-judicial deportation of Russian blogger Ismail Nalgiev after his arrest in Minsk Airport. Nalgiev was preparing to travel to Prague, but was detained by border guards at the airport and told that he was on the Russian Federation’s wanted list.
Police released Nalgiev after three hours but officers from the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption, as well as the Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Kastryčnicki district of Minsk, immediately re-arrested Nalgiev and took him to a detention centre in Minsk. Nalgiev’s lawyer was only permitted to meet with his client several hours later, in the late evening of 8 May. Nalgiev was charged with an administrative offence, but an administrative protocol on the reason for his detention was not filed.
It was expected that the Court of the Kastryčnicki district of Minsk would consider the charge on 10 May, but in the morning, it was announced that the expulsion had already been put in place. On 11 May, Nalgiev was taken to a prison in the city of Nalchik in the Russian Federation’s Republic of Kabardino-Balcaria. Nalgiev was banned from re-entering Belarus for 10 years and remains in prison in Nalchik.
Ismail Nalgiev is a blogger and human rights defender from the Republic of Ingushetia, Russian Federation. He is the co-ordinator of Choice of Ingushetia, which has been opposing a land-swap deal signed by the Ingush and Chechen leaders in September 2018. Since October 2018, protesters – Nalgiev among them – have opposed the land-swap on the basis that Ingushetia is giving Chechnya prime real estate in exchange for remote mountainous terrain. Ingushtians have been demanding the resignation of their leader, Minus Yevkurov.
On 27 March 2019 protests in the Ingush capital of Magas turned violent after police forcibly dispersed hundreds of protesters. Protesters are understood to have used chairs (brought on site for elderly protesters) to defend themselves but dozens of injuries were reported. A criminal case on the use of violence was subsequently opened.
It is now understood that Ismail Nalgiev was placed on the Ingushetia Ministry of Internal Affairs’ wanted persons list on 27 April, having been charged under Article 318(2) and Article 212(3) of the Criminal Code in relation to the protests. Nalgiev says that he was not made aware of this at the time.
On 8 May Nalgiev was convicted in absentia and sentenced to two months in prison. He began serving his sentence on 11 May. His lawyer is in the process of trying to appeal the sentence.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1561033970217-f5fce0e8-f6b4-6″ taxonomies=”172″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
